Car heater



July 22, 1941.

CAR HEATER Fi'l'ed Feb. 6, 1939 3 Sheets-She et 1 attorneys c DARRAH Er 2,249,946

July 22, 1941. c. w. DARRAH Em.

can HEATER FiledFeb. 6. 1939 j 'IS'Shgets-Shegt 2* aids- July 22, 1941. c. w. DARRA 2,249,946

I 'CAR HEATER Filed Feb. 6, 1939 3 Sheetss-Sheer. 3

Gttomegs a modified form of the invention; I Fig. 5 is a plan view of the structure shown portion of a car body, vture illustrated in Figs.

Patented July 22, 1941 Carl W. Darrah and port, N. Y., asslgnors poration, Detroit, Micln,

ware

Harold A. Reynolds, Lookto General Motors Cora corporation Dela- Application February 6,1939, Serial No. 254,892

This invention relates to car heaters of the type which utilize the hot water from the engine cooling circulating system as a heating medium.

One of the objects of the invention is to pro- I vide such a heater which may be located under the car floor beneath one of the vehicle seats and which will withdraw cold air from the lower portion of the car body, and after heating the air to the desired temperature, will discharge it" back into the car body both in front of and behind the seat so that all portionsof the space within the body will be heated uniformly.

Our improved car heater is housed in a casing which is set into an opening formed in the car floor, the top of the casing being substantially flush with the top of the floor, and the bottom extending below the floor. Provision is made for taking air into this casing from points located at opposite sides of the body immediately above the car floor and adjacent to the door osgednings where cold air is likely to leak into the Y. The advantages of locating the heater beneath the car floor under one of the seats are that in 0 this position it is out of the way of the passen.

gers. does not occupy space that would be useful for other purposes and therefore may be made as large as desired, it is easy to install, and makes it a very simple matter to heat both the space in front of and behind the seat with air taken from the coldest points in the car body. I! desired, provision may be made for taking fresh air from outside the car body into the heater casing, and by an arrangement of interconnected valves which may be operated conveniently from the seat, the proportions of recirculated air and fresh outside air which pass through the heater into the car body may be varied as desired.

Other objects and advantages or the invention will be apparent upon reference to the specification and accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an automobile,

showing our improved car heater applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, taken on the line 2-.-2 01' Fig. 1.

' Fig. 3 is a sectional view, taken on the line 3-8 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing in Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a plan view, on a smaller scale. of a showing the heater strucother modified form or heater. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of the structure shown in Fig. l. v

4 and applied theretoe Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing an-" Fig. 9 is a sectional view, taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing a still diflerently modified form of the invention.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary plan view 0! the structure illustrated in Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view, taken on the line 62- of Fig. 11.

The reference numeral it indicates an automobile having a body [2 and an engine ll. cated within the body is a seat It which may be of the well-known adjustable type which is movcasing in the opening outlet tank or header able forwardly or rearwardly a limited distance to suit the needs of the individual driver. The floor of the body is indicated by the numeral i8, and at one side ofthe longitudinal centerline of the car, preferably on the side 'of the driver sits on, a relatively large opening 20 is formed in the floor. v

Extending through this opening is a casing 22 which is shown as being in the form or a sheet metal pan dividedvon a horizontal line to form and lower halves being provided with a bottom wall 26. The two halves of the casing are secured together by fas- I tening devices 21. Flanges 28 formed on the side walls rest on top of the floor to support the v in the floor. the casing is a heat radiating member indicated generally by the numeral 30, this member being secured to the bottom wall of the casing by the brackets 32.

The heat radiating member illustrated in this form of the invention is of the circular type, consisting of an inlet tank or header M and an 86, connected together by water tubes 38 of arcuate shape extending through radially disposed fins 40, there being an opening 42 of circular shape in the center thereof. If desired. the water tubes 38 may be composed of nested sections formed directly from the fins, as shown in Karmazin Patent 1,761,397. A tube 35 conducts hot water from the engine cooling circulating system to the inlet header 34, and the water after flowing through the water tubes 38 around both sides of the heat radiating member, enters the outlet header 38 from which it returns to the engine through the tube 31.

An electric motor 54, adapted to drive a fan 88, is located in the central opening 42 in the heat radiating member, being supported on the bottom wall 01' the casing and connected thereto by bolts 48. An annular sleeve or shroud 50 extends around the fan and fits snugly over the outer upperedges of the fins ll. as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. -At the front, and rear sides of the shroud, as shown in Fig. 3, flanges '2 are provided on the shroud and these flanges rest on top of the flanges 26 ot the casing and are se- 24 and 25. the lower half Located in entrance passages v may be dr'awninto the heater.

V be regulated by is not shown, is

cured thereto in any suitable mannersuchas by soldering, to support the shroud in proper position in the casing. As shownin Fig. 2, at the right and left hand sides of the casing. the shroud 50 is spaced from the casing, the spaces forming 54 and 55 throughwhich air Since .the coldest in the body compartment is just above the floor and particularly adjacent to the door openings where cold air may leak in, it has been found desirable to take the air that is to be heated from those. regions. .Therefore an air intake duct 58 extends from the passage 56 to a point just inside thedoor'on the right side of the vehicle, the end ofv the duct being open so that air may be drawn in through it. This duct is located under the seat above the car floor I8, the latter forming the bottom wall of the duct .Due to the fact that the heater is located at the left side of the vehicle, the passage 54 is close enough tov the door so that it is not necessary to provide any duct on that side, the air being drawn directly into the passage 54.

Since it is desired to heat the spaces both in 1 front of and behind the front seat, an outlet .duct 60 is secured on top'of the casing 22. This is adjusted back 1 be directed toward the opposite side of the car,

thereof will be heated'uniformscreens or grills (not shown) so that all parts ly. If desired, may. be provided duct 60, for the purpose of improving the appearance thereof. Since the air being discharged" from [the heater must change its direction of fiow from vertical to horizontal upon entering the duct 60, a curved, substantially vshaped diverter member is secured to the underside of the top of the duct, for the purpose of smoothing out the path'of the air flow.

, From the above, itwill be seen that when it is desired to heat the space within the car body,-

theelectric motor, the speed of which may a variable speed switch which started and this rotates the fan which draws cold air in from the left side of the car just above the floor through the passage 54, and from the right side of the car through the open end of the duct 58 and through the latter into the passage 56 into-the'heater casing 22.

The cold air then flows inwardlythrough the spaces betweenthe fins 40, becoming heated by contact therewith, and thence upwardly into the duct 60, .where it is divided by the-diverter member '70, part of the heated air being discharged through the open end 62 of the duct into the space in front of theseat and being directed toward the right side of the car by the deflector members 66, and part of it being discharged through the open end 64 of the duct into the space behind the seat where it is directed toof the body by the deflector ward the right side members 58. The advantages of this construction are that vehicle, curved deflector memoccupied by any of the vehicle parts or acceswhere itis of the-passenger space or space which would be sories and therefore may be all parts or the space within the body are heateduniformly.

I The purpose of having'the casing dividedintoor heat radiating member or other parts within the casing from beneaththe car, as-due to the fact that'the casingis located under the seat, it would be impossible to these parts without removing the seat. By taking out the fastening devices 21, the lower half 25 of the casing may be dropped down, and the motor, core and other parts will come with it.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 a modification of the invention is shown. In this form, an opening 12 is provided in one of the side walls of the casing 22, and a duct 14 which has its outer open end 76 terminating atany suitablepoint such immediately above .the shown in Fig. 6, has its inner end secured to the casing, around the opening 12 and is adapted to conduct air from outside the as in the side of the car casing. Such airgwill ofcourse become heated as it passes through the heater before being dischargedinto the car through the duct 50.

' Since it is desirable to be able to regulate the to cover the open ends of the .to close or partially close the passages 5t and from inside the car,

amount of outside air being taken in, depending .upon .the temperature 'of such air, and also to recirculated air beregulate the proportions of ing drawn in through the with respect to the amount admitted, pivoted valves passages 54 and 55 of outside air being and-82 are provided 5t respectively. An arm 8! is secured to the valve 80, and an arm 83 to the valve 82, and these arms have pivotally connected to them links 86 and 86, the adjacent ends of which are pivotally connected to a rocker 88, which is pivotally supported at 90 on one of the side walls of the casing 22. 'Another link"92 is pivotally connected to the arm 8| and to a valve 98 which cent to the opening 12.

The upper end of the arm 8| is located in a position where it will be accessible to the driver or passengers sitting in the seat It, and when it is moved to the position shown in Fig. 4, it will be seen that both the passages 54 and 56 are substantially closed by the valves 80 and 82 so that very little air may be withdrawn from the body valves 80 and 82 willbe moved to a position uncover the openings 54 and 56, and the valve 94 will be moved to a position completely closing the opening 12. Under this condition, it will be seen that all of the air flowing through the heater is recirculated air! taken no outside air being taken in. By moving the arm 8| to different intermediate positions, the valvesw, 82 and 84 may be easy toinstall, it does not occupy any obtain access to any of running board 18, as.

vehicle into the secured to the water a tan .is located beneath the tion of' the rest of the used in-automobile radiator constructions.- -this typeof core, vertically extending air passages I30 lie between transversely extending water passages I32, 'are connected to inlet and outlet headers I34 ported directly on the bottom -'wall 26 of the the bolts scribed.

of construction may wfrom the spirit and scope of we claim:

v 1. In a motor vehicle having abody including ihg and below the floor, sages formed in the top thereof, a heating device positeside walls thereof,

" sages I-nd adapted adjusted to vary the proportions of recirculated air from within the body and outside air flowing through the heating device,'so that any desiredderedor otherwise secured together at their.

edges and their central portions and spaced apart in between the secured together portions to form water passages I08 which communicate at their opposite ends with an inlet header II II and an outlet header II2. -The spaces in between the water tubes'form air passages I I4, there being Zig-zag shaped fins II6 extending between and tubes in any suitable manner such as by soldering. ,An electric .motor I I8 is located in a central opening I20 formed in the heat radiating member, and serves to drive I22 which in this form of the invention heat radiating member. The heat radiating member is held in the casing 22 by a support I24 which is secured to two,op-' posite side walls of the casing by fastening means I26, the motor being secured to the central portion of the support by bolts I28. The construcheating device and its operation are similar to those previously described, the only. difierence being that since the fan is below the heat radiating member, it serves to force air up through the member rather than -to draw it through, as in the previously described forms.

'In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 10, 11 and 12, the heat radiating member is formed of hexagon cell type of core such as is commonly In the opposite ends of which both the electric and I36. In this modification,

located below. the

heater casing, being secured thereto by The core is supported by a member I44 securedto the casing by fastening means I46, the lower portion I4 0.of vthe member I44 surrounding the fan and serving as a shroud thereto force air upwardly through the air passages I30, other-' for. In this form, the fan serves wise the construction and operation of the rest of the device is similar to those previously de- While we have'shown and described specific forms of our invention, -it will be. that various'changes in'size, shape be made the appended claims.

and details a floor .and a seat spaced above the floor, said floor having an opening iormed therein under the seat, a casing extending through said openlocated in said casing and spaced from two opa motor driven fan located in. said casing and adapted to withdraw cold air from immediately above the floor through said passases, valves located adjacent the pasto close the latter, said casing understood without departing said casing having pashaving an opening formed therein below the floor through which air from outside the body may be drawn into the casing, a valve adapted to close the opening, means connecting all of said valves together in such manner that as the valves adjacent to the passages are moved toward closed the valve adjacent the opening in the position, casing is moved toward open position so that the proportions of air-being drawn into the'casing from within and from without the body may be 1 casing in the form of a sheet metalpan open at 7 its top xtending through the opening, a heat radiating member supportedin the casing and spaced from two opposite side walls of the casing to form air intake passages, a duct located above the floor over said member, the ends of the duct being open and the intermediate portion thereof 25 communicating with the discharge side of said heat radiating member and a motor driven fan located in the casing and adapted to-draw cold air in from the body through said passages and to force-the air through the heat radiating memher, the heated air being discharged through said duct back into the body.

3. In a motor vehicle having a body including a floor having an opening formed therein, a

casingin the form of a sheet 'metal pan open at its top extending through the, opening, a

heat radiating member supported in the casing and spaced from two opposite side walls of the casing to form air intake passages communieating with the interior of the body, one of the 40, side walls of the-casing having an opening formed in it through whichair from outside the body may enter the casing, a motor driven fan 1o-' cate'din the casing either fromthe. inside of the body 715 through said passages or from outside the body through said opening and to force the air through the heat radiating member, the heated air be ing discharged into the space within the body, "and means adapted to selectively open or close either said passagesor said,opening to varythe proportions of recirculated or outside airpassing through the heat radiating member. j 4. In a motor vehicle having a body including a floor and a seat spaced above the floor, said floori having an opening formed-therein under the seat at one side thereof, a casing in the form of a sheet metal pan open at its top extending through the opening, a heat radiating member supported in the casing and spaced from two opposite sidewalls of the casing to form air ins hind the seat. I a cam. w. mama. mom A. amoms.

the casing and adapted to draw air into a take passages communicating with the interior} "of the body. a duct located in the space between 

